I am wanting a bigger pistol, mine is a tiny one just for CC... not sure what I want either. Everyone has their own opinion of what is best... and you cant just shot a few to get a feel easily (at least for me) so ... not sure how its best to figure out what to go with before I spend the money.

I would definitely go with a .45 and a glock. A true 1911 is sometimes a pain because you have to fully grip the handle and I just prefer glock they're reliable and they're badass. I will never buy a 9mm I prefer knowing what I hit is going down. And most people will say caliber doesn't matter if you can shoot but what happens when somebody else in the fam may need it or I can't get a great shot? I like being certain.

In TN there is a requirement for classroom and range qualification then it's a matter of clearing your background check and the fee, I think it was about $150.00 for a five year carry permit.
My carry gun is a Taurus PT145, a Millenium frame .45 semiautomatic. It's small enough to conceal and big enough to stop most threats, but that mostly depends upon your ammo. I use a frangible hollow-point because my son is in the next room. If somebody is in the house "uninvited" and I happen to miss in the dark, these rounds will go through the first layer of drywall but dissipate their energy into the smaller fragments they break into and will not penetrate the second layer of drywall. If I DO hit the bad guy I'll leave a .45-sized entry wound and a softball-sized exit wound. Nine of those, grouped effectively, will put down your average home invader or attempted car-jacker

In TN there is a requirement for classroom and range qualification then it's a matter of clearing your background check and the fee, I think it was about $150.00 for a five year carry permit.
My carry gun is a Taurus PT145, a Millenium frame .45 semiautomatic. It's small enough to conceal and big enough to stop most threats, but that mostly depends upon your ammo. I use a frangible hollow-point because my son is in the next room. If somebody is in the house "uninvited" and I happen to miss in the dark, these rounds will go through the first layer of drywall but dissipate their energy into the smaller fragments they break into and will not penetrate the second layer of drywall. If I DO hit the bad guy I'll leave a .45-sized entry wound and a softball-sized exit wound. Nine of those, grouped effectively, will put down your average home invader or attempted car-jacker

i think just one would do the trick in the right place haha. i think here its $100 for 5 years 200 for 10 years.

In TN there is a requirement for classroom and range qualification then it's a matter of clearing your background check and the fee, I think it was about $150.00 for a five year carry permit.
My carry gun is a Taurus PT145, a Millenium frame .45 semiautomatic. It's small enough to conceal and big enough to stop most threats, but that mostly depends upon your ammo. I use a frangible hollow-point because my son is in the next room. If somebody is in the house "uninvited" and I happen to miss in the dark, these rounds will go through the first layer of drywall but dissipate their energy into the smaller fragments they break into and will not penetrate the second layer of drywall. If I DO hit the bad guy I'll leave a .45-sized entry wound and a softball-sized exit wound. Nine of those, grouped effectively, will put down your average home invader or attempted car-jacker

Its just me but for home defense...I would get a shotgun. More specifically, a Mossberg 500. NOTHING is scarier than the sound of a cocking shotgun.

Oh, I just got a new shotgun in June. It's a 12ga pump in matte black, composite stock and forend, 18 1/2 inch barrel. Right now it has 5 rounds of 00 buckshot in it. It has to stay in the non-bedroom end of the house due to the aforementioned "through-and-through" bedroom wall thing.
Anybody I'm shooting at is gonna be intent upon doing me some mischief and I doubt would give me the luxury of a warning shot. He will NOT be receiving that courtesy from me, either.

Oh, I just got a new shotgun in June. It's a 12ga pump in matte black, composite stock and forend, 18 1/2 inch barrel. Right now it has 5 rounds of 00 buckshot in it. It has to stay in the non-bedroom end of the house due to the aforementioned "through-and-through" bedroom wall thing.
Anybody I'm shooting at is gonna be intent upon doing me some mischief and I doubt would give me the luxury of a warning shot. He will NOT be receiving that courtesy from me, either.

haha i would also not give a warning shot. was joking about not having the cocking sound of a shotty

For concealed carry I don't like Glocks. Too easy to have a negligent discharge with that easy trigger and no safety. For a duty type I have not problem with it.

I carry a Walther P99 for duty, and a Taurus PT740 for concealed. One thing you should do ... shoot the ones you are thinking about. It needs to fit you. You need to be comfortable with it or you wont practice. Also, .40 is a snappy round if you've never shot it before.

I have never cared for Polymer frame handguns whether it was a Glock or a S&W Sigma... they just felt wrong.

Currently I have a polymer Springfield Armory xd(M) .40 S&W and it is by FAR the most accurate AND comfortable handgun I have ever owned. This thing fits my hand like a natural extension of my body. This is my 14th semi-auto (zero revolvers) and they have ranged from a .22 Beretta 21A Bobcat to a .44 magnum Desert Eagle. I have handled and fired what seems like "just about everything" and this is my all time favorite although my German 9mm Makarov was a close second place.

As was mentioned previously, it's a matter of preference. You have to find what feels good in your hand first.

At the risk of offending my wife (who carries a Taurus TCP-738) I offer this little list:

Top Ten Reasons Why Men Prefer Guns Over Women
And here we go...
#10 - You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
#9 - You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you're on the road.
#8 - If you admire a friend's gun and tell him so, he will probably let you try it out a few times.
#7 - Your primary gun doesn't mind if you keep another gun for a backup.
#6 - Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
#5 - A gun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
#4 - Guns function normally every day of the month.
#3 - A gun doesn't ask , "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
#2 - A gun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
And the Number One reasonWhy Men Prefer Guns over women.....
#1 - You can buy a silencer for a gun

At the risk of offending my wife (who carries a Taurus TCP-738) I offer this little list:

Top Ten Reasons Why Men Prefer Guns Over Women
And here we go...
#10 - You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
#9 - You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you're on the road.
#8 - If you admire a friend's gun and tell him so, he will probably let you try it out a few times.
#7 - Your primary gun doesn't mind if you keep another gun for a backup.
#6 - Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
#5 - A gun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
#4 - Guns function normally every day of the month.
#3 - A gun doesn't ask , "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
#2 - A gun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
And the Number One reasonWhy Men Prefer Guns over women.....
#1 - You can buy a silencer for a gun

If I were taller and bigger I'd carry my Taurus PT1911 but as is, I got no place to hide a full size 45.. So it's for sale in Missouri but I usually carry my Keltec p32 (although, if you buy one, I suggest the 380 version) and at 6.6 oz and a tiny frame, it's as handy as a pocket on a shirt. I put a belt clip on it in college. Great carry piece for less than $300 new!